After collared elephant Ivy was confirmed with a new calf in January, the Mara Elephant Project long-term monitoring team conducted a routine monitoring check in March to assess their movements and wellbeing. As a known crop raider, it is especially important to ensure she and her calf remain safe, healthy, and away from nearby settlements. Ivy’s herd often moves through dense, thick bush, making them extremely difficult to track on foot or by vehicle. Drones provide a critical solution, allowing the team to locate and observe herds that would otherwise be nearly impossible to monitor, ensuring both elephant safety and improved human wildlife coexistence.
In early March, Nairobi became the global stage for conservation innovation during the Global Conservation Tech & Drone Forum (GCTDF) 2026, a gathering of conservationists, technologists, rangers, researchers, and community leaders from across Africa and around the world. Throughout the conference, MEP personnel engaged across multiple sessions. During the Women in Conservation Forum, MEP’s Research Project Assistant, Sylvia Nyarangi shared that, as one of MEP’s few female drone pilots, she supports ranger teams through aerial monitoring. MEP’s Senior Research Project Officer, Sarafina Sironka highlighted MEP’s use of ElephantBook to identify elephants and improve human-elephant conflict management. MEP’s Coexistence Manager Abigael Pertet spoke about her work with women in local communities to grow elephant-friendly crops, strengthening coexistence while supporting livelihoods.
MEP teams responded to two injured elephants this month in collaboration with Kenya Wildlife Service/Sheldrick Wildlife Trust veterinary partners. One elephant, Individual #128, was found with a severely infected arrow wound in his foot. After being safely darted from the MEP helicopter, the veterinary team cleaned the wound and administered antibiotics. Follow-ups by the long-term monitoring team shows encouraging signs of healing.
Promoting coexistence between people, livestock, and wildlife remains central to MEP’s work. As grazing pressure increases across shared landscapes, MEP and EyeClimate continue developing CattleMapper, a drone-based tool that visualizes livestock numbers, grazing patterns, and boma locations. By making grazing pressure visible, the tool supports proactive land management, helping protect critical elephant habitats, and reduces the risk of conflict while supporting sustainable Maasai livelihoods.
Community programs continued to grow this quarter. In January. MEP trained over 50 community members and conservancy rangers on Virtual Ranger, strengthening local capacity to report and respond to human–elephant conflict. Under the Lead Reporter model, trained individuals will continue passing skills on within their communities, improving early reporting and coordination.
At the MEP coexistence farm, what began last year with five women-led community farming groups is now growing into a powerful network. This quarter the program welcomed eight new groups across six different communities, and we facilitated a handover exchange between the first group and the new group. The farmers who are now ready for harvest shared their journey with those who are preparing to secure land and begin the planting process.
The team continued maintenance of the MEP kitchen garden in the first quarter, harvesting a total of 92 kg of vegetables, which were supplied to the MEP headquarters’ kitchen. Additionally, 66 kg of chili was harvested and processed into chili powder. The team also trained 86 women on how to make kitchen gardens at home, and they received seedlings to get them started. Notably, more women have visited the MEP coexistence farm in the last quarter to request seedlings and trees for planting in their homes, especially during this rainy season.
In February, MEP launched its 2026 conservation education program, reaching 624 students across 12 schools in the Greater Mara. Activities included tree planting, environmental education through the Tales of the Savanna book drive, and community clean-up exercises that removed over 1,500 kg of waste.
In March, the coexistence team visited three primary schools for the purpose of conservation education. They got together with the ‘Alpha’ ranger team and visited Chepsir Comprehensive School in the Mau Forest region for a day that brought conservation to life, both in the classroom and on the ground. The team engaged 74 learners from the school’s Wildlife Club through interactive sessions on human-wildlife conflict (HWC) under the theme “Wildlife, Our Future.” Students explored the realities of sharing landscapes with wildlife, gaining a clearer understanding of what drives conflict and the practical steps communities can take to safely coexist. Beyond learning, the day also focused on action. Together with the students, the MEP teams planted 50 indigenous tree seedlings within the school compound. In regions like the Mau, where forests play a vital role in water catchment and wildlife habitat, restoring indigenous vegetation is key to maintaining healthy ecosystems and reducing pressures that can lead to human-wildlife conflict. These engagements are more than one-day activities—they are long-term investments in coexistence. By connecting education, community involvement, and environmental restoration, MEP is helping build resilient landscapes where both people and wildlife can thrive.
In preparation for the incoming Director of Research and to ensure compliance, a stakeholder meeting was convened with key institutions, including the Narok County Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, KWS (Assistant Director), the Wildlife Research and Training Institute (WRTI) (Permit and Research Departments), and the Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservancies Association (MMWCA). Discussions focused on the progress of MEP’s research activities regarding Prior Informed Consent (PIC) and Mutually Agreed Terms (MAT), with all stakeholders recognized as key participants in the process. Their feedback and acknowledgment were important. We also presented MEP’s incubation projects, such as the Mountain Bongo Project (MBP) and the Loita Linda Msitu Project.
